Electric switch.



vGr. C. KNAUPF. ELECTRIC SWTGH. APPLIOM'ION FILED MAY 19.1911.

1,047,245., Patented Dec. i?, 1912.

In yemr:

PATENT Ftllltlhl.

GEORG-E C. KNAUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

To all ytrimm 'z'z may concern:

Be it known that I, Grt-:onen C. KNAUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at the City of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying draW-. ings, which form a part of this specification. vMy invention relates to the class of electric switches in which the circuit is opened and closed by a rocking lever to which the vfinal part of its motion in either direction is imparted by a pair of springs located on opposite sides of the rocking lever, these .springs being stretched whenever the lever passes a point about half way between its circuitbpening and circuit-closing positions. In switches of this class it has heretofore been customary. to attach one end of each spring to a cross-bar or rod rigidly connected to the rocking lever.` Unless these springs were exactly matched as to their tension it would tend to tilt the vrocking lever toward one side, thereby causing the lever to bind in its-support and to make imperfect contact in closing the circuit. My invention consists in a slmple and novel arrangement of parts whereby any difference in the tension of the two springs is equalized sothat the rocking 'lever will always be free to move in the same plane and to make a good electrical contact when' in the circuit-closing position.

The preferred embodiment of my inven- 'tion is shown in the accompanying drawings, which I will now describe:

Figure 'l is a side elevation-of the switch near its center on an axle l passing through a post (l, all ot' which are preferal'ily made ot brass. ll'his post. Chas a slot l) in which the lever can more freely. One end E of the lever is elongated and so shaped as to match the parallel ends ot' a Contact clip lf. preferably made of German silver. The,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled'May 19,

Patented `itPec. 17, 1912. 1911. serial No. 628,144.

post C is fastened to a base plato lV which base plate, together with the contact clip F are both mounted on an insulatingbase Gr, preferably-made of hard rubber. This insulating base G supported by brackets H-H from a faceplate I. ircnit terminals, minus and plus, are connected to the switch by means of the screws V-V'. The face plate I has two openings through which insulated buttons J-J project, these buttons being secured to opposite ends of the rocking lever A by pivoted stems K-K. The post C also supports a bar L slid through a smooth hole of uniform diameter bored thrt'iugh the post transversely of the plane ot' the lever A and close yto the base plate \V, this bar L having grooves N-N near its opposite ends. Adjacent to the pivot B and directly over it when the lever A is in its mid-position, this lever has anotch O in which a cross-bar P rests, the latter being, kept from sliding in the notch O by a groove in the bar I. This cross-bar I also 0has grooves near each end, into which are hooked two springs S-S leading from this -cross-bar to the bar L.

In operation, thesprings S-S are extended when'ever the lever A is-moved to its mid-position by depressing,r the uppermost button J or J and as soon as it has passed this mid-position, the springs will throw the lever to the extreme of its travel. In doing this7 vif the cross-bar P were rigidly fas! tened to the lever A and the springs were not equally in tension, the difference in tension would cause the cross-bar l to tilt transversely, thereby binding or stickingr in. the slot B and also making contact, only at the edges of the clips F instead of otl'erirn.;V the full carrying capacity ot the contact by sliding between the parallel ends ot' the clips. 'ith'the cross-bar l? loosely pivoted on the lever A by resting in the notch O as in my invention, such a difference in tension of the springs merely tilts 'this cross-bar l without', twisting the lever A out ot' its normal plane, thereby allowing it to work freely and to make good electrical contact in closing tbe circuit.'

It' the bar l, were rigidly secured to the post (l, the action ot' the spiings through the rross-bar l upon the lever A might; still tend to twist this le'ver so that its sides would not. contact smoothly with the contact clips. I therefore leave the bai' L free to slide back and forth in the mme@ hole bored trzmevcrseiy in the that it cam. adjuit itsei't to 'the Strains by sliding ich@thwisf-,ij thereby illowing the switch lever ,f1- to work frceiy and to make good Contact with the 'clips in. spite of veriations iin the tension of the Springs S C.

Instead of having the stifling har L go through the post and having the tilting bei" P pivotcd on the rocking lever, can reverse the order shown in Fig. 4t in which the center groved oar P is pivoter'i in a, perforation U bored through the post C, while the L siid through it hole in the rock- 1 'lever ./Vhile have chown the preferred embodimeiit of .my invention as applied to a double push flush switch, I do not wish to be limited to thifs particular type of switch nor to the particular shape of notched lever or the specific arrangement oit contacte which I have shown and described, as numerous modifications can be made Without departintefrom the Spirit of my invention.

'vi/'hzit claim as new und 'tiesire to cover hy Letters i'atcnt is:

l. In aiieiectric Switch, e, ,imicvadalted to operi and close the circuit- 5 spring meohmisru tending to hold the lever in post C, so either the circuit-c'losin,0- or circuit-opening aostion' the said s Jrinfhm-echimism iiiciucti a I e :ing a, bar siidahiy mounted ii the st-ationarv' part of the switch, second har tiitabijv' mounted upon the rocking lever, a pair of-springs fastened et 'their opposite emi-5 respectively to the ends of the said bers,

2. .in an electric switch, a stationary member earryii'lg a, ContactA terminal con-V i'iected to one. sido Io3? the' cf'iciiit; e reciting member connected to the other circuitanci adapted when rocked to `moveinte or out ofontact. with the said eontct f terminal y L@ bar siidahly mounted in one oi the said members and a second. haar 'tiitahy mounted upon the other of the said mehr hcrsfzmd :i pair of springs 'fastened ai; their opposait@ ends respectively to the `ends-oi? the said bars.

In 'witness whereof, have hereunto setmy hand, this 17th day of Moy A. D. 19H5 in the presence of two subscribing witmesses.

VJitnesses ALBERT SG1-152mm? A'. HiLL side of thev C. KNALTF 

